Improvement in fasten i ng-strl ps or clasps



J. H. WEAVER. Fastening Strip o r Clasp.

No. 216,543. Patented Junel-|7,18u79.

l all C I L I-F'ig.2

UNITED STATES PATENT'OFTCE.

JAMES H. WEAVER,.OF CHICAGO, ILLINOISf IMPROVEMENT IN FASTENING-STRNIPS oRoLAsPs.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 21,543, dated June 17, 1879; application filed November 16, 1878.

To all whom 'it may concern: Be it known that I, JAMES H. WEAVER, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented anew, useful, and Improved Fastening Strip or Clasp, of which the following; in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of a fastening or `clasp embodying my invention; Fig. 2, a like representation of the saine unclasped; Fig. 3, a section in the plane of the line m m; Fig. 4, a side View, showing a moditication of construction; Fig. 5, a section in the plane of the `line y y; and the remaining gures are illustrative of other modifications in construction, to which reference will be hereinafter made.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts.

A and A' represent two strips of paper, both of which are, by preference, folded back at their meeting ends, the parts folded back being made to adhere to the parts upon which they are folded by being brushed for that purpose with mucilage or other adhesive substance, thus making these ends of the strips stout and rm, andadmittin g of the remaining parts being comparatively light. These strips, however, may be of uniform thickness. B is a tongue extending from one end ot' the part A, and a a are tongues extending laterally from the tongue B. C C are slits out longitudinally in one end of the strip A.

In order to fasten the strips A and A together I pass the tongues a a into the slits C C, as shown in Figs. 1, 3, 4, 6, and7.

To unclasp the strips it is only necessary to place the fingers upon the end of the tongue B and lift or raise it sufficiently to draw the tongues a a from the slits C C.

The end of the tongue B may either be slightly notched or cut away, as shown `at b, or it may be made tapering, as shown in Fig. 5, or it may be cut straight across the strip, the object in either notching or beveling it being to render it less liable of being accidentally caught and raised sufficiently to unclasp the fastening while the latter is in use, it being understood that in use the end of the tongueB lies outermost, or on the exposed side of the fastening, where it may be reached and manipulated with facility.

When the end of the tongue B is made tapering, I cut in the part A a cross-slit, C', i

to receive the tapering end, this slit being arranged so as to just cover the end of the tongue when it is thrust into the slit, as should be done when this feature of construction is employed. By this means the end of the tongue B is covered and protected, and `yet it may be easily drawn from the slit C', so as to be raised for the purpose of nnclasping the parts.

I do not, however, here intend to restrict myself to any particular form of the end of the tongue B, as the parts will be held down smoothly and closely together without reference to the modifications of form now described. I brush the under face of the fastening or clasp, near the outer ends thereof, with mucilage, and allow the mucilage to become dry, when the device is ready for use.

I use this fastening or clasp in the following manner: If, for example, I wish to mail third-class matter, I wrap the matter in a suitable wrapper, without fastening the wrapper, except by means of the clasp or fastening now described, which I apply by moistening the patches of mucilage on the ends thereof, and sticking the ends to thepackage, arranging the fastening or clasp in such a manner that the wrapper will be held together properly about the contents, it being understood that the fastening is to remain clasped while it is being applied, and untill the mucilage on the ends becomes dry.

It will he perceived from the foregoing d escription that the package may be easily opened' by nnclasping the strips A and A', and that the contents may be examined, and the package then closed and again fastened by clasping the parts A and A', which, when not clasped, are always loose or partly detached from the wrapper, being A,connected thereto only at the ends.

It will also be perceived that neither the fastening nor the wrapper need beinjnred by thus opening and closing the package.

To prevent the package from being tampered with wrongfully after the contents have been once examined, a little mucilage may be applied to the .tongue B, or to those parts of itin contact with the part A'.

latter having thereon the laterally-extending tongues a a, and the other having therein, near one end thereof', the longitudinal slits G C, to receive the tongues a, a, the under face Y ofthe said strip being coated near its outer ends with a dry mncilaginous substance rendered adhesive by moisture, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

JAMES H. WEAVER.

Witnesses:

MARTIN BEEM, D. F. FLANNERY. 

